ECW DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MISSION TRIP III

2008

ST. PETER’S PARISH POST ARTICLE

Mission Team Returns from the Dominican Republic

         2008 Team Leader:  Cookie Davis      

It is with great excitement that I tell you that the recent ECW Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic was a tremendous success.  Ellen Snow said that we four women did more and saw more in five days than most do in 10 days.  We were up early and on the move every minute.  We were able to see Bishop Holguin twice and give greeting from you and the Diocese of Virginia.  Everyone spoke so well of the love and support the people of Virginia have exhibited in their country. 

          When visiting the DR Diocesan Office, Bishop Holguin pointed to a picture of Bishop Gray with him that I had taken in 2005 on our initial visit.  It was hanging in his office and he said, “Tell Bishop Gray I see him every morning!”  He is a delightful man and we enjoyed dinner with him and his wife Melargra on Wednesday night at the home of an active Dominican ECW member. He will be visiting Richmond and Williamsburg this May.

          Ellen and Bob Snow, our missionaries in the DR, planned with us and joined up at many of the activities.  Ellen even traveled to San Francisco with us to visit the school and church, Jesus Nazareno that we have supported with scholarships for the last 3 years.  Father Hipolito and his family took us into his home and shared his progress and his dreams with us. 

Our support has meant much to him as he is a young priest sent to revive an area of poverty and great need.

 Having been to Jesus Nazareno twice before, the improvement was obvious to me.  We were welcomed by every classroom as we toured the facilities, and we were given treasured gifts of appreciation. I was impressed with the new staff members and the growth of the high school.

A weekly prayer meeting in the home of a teacher a 7pm was a real treat as we prayed and read scripture together in both English and Spanish.  Our bilingual tour director, Virginia Norman, assisted us in all translations. She also sent you regards to all her friends in Virginia. She told us she remembered fondly meeting Bishop Lee in New York last year.   

We were also able to visit San Pedro and see the ministries there. The Episcopal nuns, Sister Priscilla and Sister Gabriel, welcomed us at our first stop.  There I saw the Rappahannock Electric computers that were sent to the DR when they upgraded.  I had wondered who got them.

At our second stop in San Pedro we toured San Esteban (St. Stephen’s) where  UTO grants had helped transform the clinic from a shed behind the church to a wonderful modern facility with ongoing programs in rehabilitation, medicine, mental health, community health, a laboratory and a pharmacy.  Special programs included HIV testing, an HIV treatment center, and a vaccination station in cooperation with Dominican Public Health. This was truly amazing! 

That same afternoon we visited Boca Chica and the new Assisted Living Home, “Hogar Obispo Isaac Iglesia Episcopal”. It is now open and we toured with Karen Carroll of Florida who manages it.  The Rev. Margarita is now the priest there and she is doing great things with the church and school. (St. Stephen’s in Richmond works with them too.)

We also visited the Seminary and met the current students there. It too showed great physical improvements since my earlier visit in 2005.  We had prayers for the continuation of our partnership in the chapel there.  Earlier we had toured Epifany Church which is on the grounds and was consecrated on Easter 1932.

There is much more and we will be telling our story at many ECW meetings around the Diocese.  In doing so we will never fail to tell of St. Peter’s support and how much your loose offering gift and ECW gift meant to us. Everything was expensive and we were proud that we could pay our own way and give gifts along the way too.  The cost of our van, driver and gas alone was $500.

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and your support.  It was greatly appreciated.  I was very proud to say “My church has covered that!” whenever someone asked if we had enough money..

 THANK YOU!

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